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iliac vein
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Diagram of the human circulatory system showing major arteries in red and veins in blue, with labeled pathways for arterial supply and venous drainage to organs including the heart, lungs, liver, kidneys, intestines, and lower limbs.
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iliac vein

anatomy
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Diagram of the human circulatory system showing major arteries in red and veins in blue, with labeled pathways for arterial supply and venous drainage to organs including the heart, lungs, liver, kidneys, intestines, and lower limbs.
Human circulatory system Parts of the human circulatory system that highlight arterial supply and venous drainage of the organs.

The iliac veins are major blood vessels that drain blood from the legs and pelvis back to the heart. Specifically, the external iliac vein collects blood from the leg, and the internal iliac vein drains the pelvic walls, reproductive organs, and buttocks. These two veins then merge to form the common iliac vein. The paired common iliac veins unite to become the inferior vena cava, a large vein that carries deoxygenated blood from the lower body to the right atrium of the heart.12

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3 Britannica Sources
  1. human cardiovascular system - Inferior vena cava and its tributaries
  2. vena cava
  3. cardiovascular disease - Organic disease

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